How is Your Oxygen Mask Fitting?

Most of us have had an opportunity to fly in an airplane and hear the safety announcement prior to takeoff. “In case of an emergency, place the oxygen mask on yourself, THEN, assist those around you.” How are you doing, taking care of yourself?

Here at Dentistry It’s Personal, regularly we talk about self care, self compassion, taking time for self, and valuing what you bring to the table in life. This self care, can look differently for each one of us. The one consistent principle, is that you FIRST take care of yourself, this isn’t done by anyone else, then you have the ability to care for others – as in practice dentistry.

Sure, you can go for a while without that oxygen mask, maybe long enough to get someone else’s secured but then, without any oxygen flowing to you, you collapse. That collapse looks different for each one of us. Maybe the nightly martini becomes three, or is followed by a bottle of wine, every night. Or, if you live in one of the states that have legalized marijuana (or not) you partake in some regular toking. Then there is the whole gamut of prescription drugs. Viewing pornography, eating too much, shopping for more than your needs.

Those can seem like an obvious collapse, what about a heart attack, or cancer diagnosis, or uncontrollable diabetes, or high blood pressure, because you aren’t taking time to exercise, and wouldn’t even consider meditating. Maybe your marriage is falling apart or financially you are in ruins. COLLAPSE!

There is a solution – valuing YOURSELF!!! Fitting yourself with an oxygen mask, first. Playing in a Golf League, belonging to a CrossFit Box, and participating in workouts is partly how you might fit your mask on. Here is what I do: an annual family vacation, quarterly I take a long weekend with my husband, I get a monthly massage, I schedule a hike once a week, practice yoga three times a week, meditate daily, AND eat dinner with my family nightly. I couldn’t do the work I do, without fitting myself with an oxygen mask on first. Did you notice, I schedule something annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily. That is our recommendation, here at Dentistry It’s Personal.

How does this oxygen look – for reviving the spirit?

The point is that you HAVE TO FIT AN OXYGEN MASK ON. It’s not negotiable. You will collapse without it. It’s not a matter of IF it’s a matter of WHEN. It seems easy to put off getting fitted for the mask, you know, putting off making a decision about it. What your unique fit looks like. You will collapse at some point, in the above mentioned way, or something equally undesirable.

Yes, you want more time and money. It works in a backwards fashion. First you put your oxygen mask on, before you need it, then you enjoy life in a manner that logically you would place after you “Make IT!” What you will find is it’s in the process/journey that you make the time, and the money follows, because of the natural flow energy – which is what money is. You’ve just expanded, as a result of the oxygen mask, now the rest of your life follows.

I would love to hear what your oxygen mask looks like for you! How does your’s fit?